CAF, teammates hail Ekong after retirement

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Super Eagles players and the Confederation of African football have praised Troost-Ekong, who announced his retirement from international football on Thursday, bringing an end to a decade-long career with Nigeria just two weeks before the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, The PUNCH reports.

The 32-year-old defender confirmed the decision in an emotional video posted on social media, ending days of speculation that followed Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup after a dramatic 4-3 penalty shootout defeat to DR Congo in the playoffs.

Troost-Ekong, who made his debut for Nigeria in 2015 under the late Stephen Keshi, reflected on his journey with the national team, describing it as the “greatest privilege” of his life.

“Today, I’m announcing my retirement from international football. In 2015, a late call from the late Stephen Keshi changed my life. A month later, the Big Boss gave me my debut. His belief in me ignited the desire to follow his footsteps,” he said.

“Every single time I put on the iconic shirt to walk out onto the pitch, I have thought about that exact moment. Going on to captain the Super Eagles was beyond my wildest dreams.”

Expressing gratitude to fans, coaches and teammates, Troost-Ekong said wearing the Super Eagles armband was an honour he would forever cherish.

“To have achieved 83 senior caps, played in five major tournaments, three medals, and broken a few records, I really lived my dreams,” he said.

Troost-Ekong also relived the emotional high of the 2023 AFCON tournament, where he captained Nigeria to the final, scored in the decisive match, and was named Player of the Tournament.

The defender stated that he is stepping aside with peace of mind, believing he has given everything to inspire the next generation of Super Eagles stars.

“The time has come to pass on the responsibility, to pass on the opportunity, to pass on the captaincy. I am so proud to be part of a group that fully showed it is possible to come home, to play and represent our beloved nation,” he said.

The announcement has drawn tributes from teammates and football authorities. Rangers striker Cyriel Dessers described him as a “Legend”, while Nottingham Forest’s Ola Aina wrote “My champion!!!” and Ademola Lookman called him a “Leader”.

The Confederation of African Football wrote on X, “Legends remain, in their time and long after it. William Troost-Ekong. It’s been a pleasure, captain.”

Ekong’s retirement comes less than 48 hours after he was listed in Eric Chelle’s 54-player squad for the forthcoming AFCON, which will commence in Morocco from December 21.

Although he represented the Netherlands at the youth levels, Ekong opted to play for the Eagles and made his senior debut in 2015 during an AFCON qualifier against Chad. He played for Nigeria at the 2018 World Cup in Russia and was named one of the team’s leaders in 2021. He won bronze with the team at the 2019 AFCON.

His finest hours with the Eagles were at the AFCON 2023 in Ivory Coast. He scored three goals, including a header in the final, as Nigeria finished with silver behind the host country. Ekong was also named the competition’s best player, a rare honour for a defender.

He made 83 appearances for Nigeria throughout his decade-long spell and scored eight goals.

Nigeria, drawn in Group C of the upcoming AFCON alongside Uganda, Tunisia and Tanzania, will now look ahead to the tournament without one of their most experienced and influential leaders.

Peter, who has been covering sports for PUNCH for close to two years, focuses on combat sports reporting, special features and human angle stories

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